weight watchers v calorie counting

amandapye78

I did weight watchers last year and I didn't see a difference between it and MFP. I honestly prefer MFP and its free

Donna6017

My sister is a member of WW and has lost 15 lbs. so far. I had her get me the complete kit for $40.00 and I'm doing WW and MFP together. Why??? I don't know, just because I want to and I want to see how points and calories compare. Just started so I don't have any statistics yet. For $40.00, nothing ventured, nothing gained. JMO (you can get the complete kits on Ebay if you don't know anyone in WW).

stratcat45

I've always said you have to find the program that works for you-everyone is different and what works for one won't for another.

I've been doing Weight Watchers since 2010, I think the program is excellent and I eat healthier than I ever have. I have never been encouraged to purchase their packaged processed food, there is much more to the programs then just staying within your point range. Fruit may be counted as 0 points but they do not encourage you to eat as much of that as you want, as a matter of fact, if you are gaining or stalled they tell you to relook at the amount of food you are eating. If you are not going to take the time to actual learn how to do the program correctly, it is probably not for you.

I joined here just to give it a try...tracking both calories and points.

richh963

I was on ww until the begining of this year. in Just over a year I lost 50lbs, then I stalled, even though i was still following my points I started gaining a little weight @ that point my sugars went out of wack, and befor I knew I had gained 25lbs back. I doing the online program. when I found this site and started hearing about tdee and other tips. I quit ww in a matter of hours, the baords here are much more informative and it so easy to follow your marcos, on ww you had this point system how many calories is a point, an veggies and fruit being free surely can add up. so on WW for six months i didnt lose a pound. I have now lost weight again in five weeks ive been doing this plus Im diabetic and my sugars are now lower than they were on my best months of weight watchers.

kellyyy1408

I have been doing MFP for a while now and got to a point where i was stuck within the same 5 pounds for months. I did WW last year but stopped due to a new job and not being able to do the meetings. Once you have the tools, paying isnt necessary and I found a free app for my phone that calculates the points for you. I have found WW really helped me get past my plateau. While on MFP I would eat whatever I wanted as long as it fit within my calories, even if it wasn't healthy. On WW you can have two foods both worth 100 calories and depending on how healthy it is one can be a lot less points due to that so it really helps makes me make healthier choices. I think it really comes down to what works for you, but I have loved WW so far.

stratcat45

an veggies and fruit being free surely can add up.

Exactly....this is where people fail, WW never says anything is FREE - certain veggies do have point values (potatoes, peas, corn); other veggies and fruits are 0 pts. 0 pts/Free does not mean eat all you want (if your leader wasn't telling you that, she/he shouldn't be a leader). The WW Healthy Guidelines say 5 servings of fruit or vegetables a day; and remember you do need to still weigh or measure those portions.

WW isn't for everyone; but I had online accounts at many free sites (like this one) and was very unsuccessful. It took WW group meetings to get weight off - now I can do better with the free sites, but I never would of been able to before.

CM9178

an veggies and fruit being free surely can add up.

Exactly....this is where people fail, WW never says anything is FREE - certain veggies do have point values (potatoes, peas, corn); other veggies and fruits are 0 pts. 0 pts/Free does not mean eat all you want (if your leader wasn't telling you that, she/he shouldn't be a leader). The WW Healthy Guidelines say 5 servings of fruit or vegetables a day; and remember you do need to still weigh or measure those portions.

WW isn't for everyone; but I had online accounts at many free sites (like this one) and was very unsuccessful. It took WW group meetings to get weight off - now I can do better with the free sites, but I never would of been able to before.

Yes, probably the biggest complaint I've heard about why the new Points Plus "doesn't work" is because of the "free" fruits and veggies.
I'd say probably 90% of people who try the plan don't understand that only applies to 5 servings per day and they must be measured. they think they can eat 14 apples a day and that's fine and then blame it on WW when they don't lose weight.

LovelyLibra79

I'm doing weight watchers and I also use MFP to log as well. It's double documenting but it keeps me disciplined!

courtneywiens

I did weight watchers about 8 years ago, and i had some success with it, i lost maybe 30 pounds or so. however i gained it back and when i decided last year to get healthy, i did it with MFP and other free resources. i prefer calorie counting to weight watchers...the points seem imaginary to me lol (i understand the logic but it still is like a secret formula that makes me feel like it's out of my control and i feel like it's best to be in control of what you're consuming, if that makes sense?) and i think unless you want to be on weight watchers for life, it's better to get into the habit of calorie counting because it's free and you can do it on your own without a subscription to anything. that being said, there's no one method that works for everyone, and you should test out your options until you find one. maybe you can put your membership on hold and try just calorie counting for a month?

CM9178

I did weight watchers about 8 years ago, and i had some success with it, i lost maybe 30 pounds or so. however i gained it back and when i decided last year to get healthy, i did it with MFP and other free resources. i prefer calorie counting to weight watchers...the points seem imaginary to me lol (i understand the logic but it still is like a secret formula that makes me feel like it's out of my control and i feel like it's best to be in control of what you're consuming, if that makes sense?) and i think unless you want to be on weight watchers for life, it's better to get into the habit of calorie counting because it's free and you can do it on your own without a subscription to anything. that being said, there's no one method that works for everyone, and you should test out your options until you find one. maybe you can put your membership on hold and try just calorie counting for a month?

weight watchers is supposed to teach you how to eat properly - in a simplified way of counting points. Once you've learned how to eat and maintain your weight loss, you don't need to count points for the rest of your life or pay for anything. So in the end, it is the same as counting calories on MFP, assuming you will learn how to eat properly and no longer need to count every calorie for the rest of your life either.

ldrosophila

They are the same portion control and calorie counting. WW just has to call it a point system for proprietary reason. If you feel more comfortable using WW continue both should get you to the same goal.

kimmyrn42

I recently tried WW online. Honestly I think MFP is just as useful with the benefit of being completely free.

jonnythan

Weight Watchers *is* calorie counting. They weight each macro slightly differently (protein and fiber get fewer points relative to their caloric value, fat gets more) but it's still calorie counting at its core.